The Day After Hurricane Harper

It was a category 3 and not a category 4-5 one, at least (results compared to the 2006 elections):

CPC	143 seats/37.63%	(+19/+1.36%)
LPC	76 seats/26.24%	(-27/-3.99%)
BQ	50 seats/9.97	(-1/-1.47%)
NDP	37 seats/18.20%	(+8/+0.82%)
IND	2 seats/0.65%	(+1/+0.13%)
GP	0 seats/6.80%	(0/+2.30%)
OTH	0 seats/0.51%	(0/-2.21%)

Seats in Parliament: 308 Needed for majority: 155

So we are stuck again with a Harper minority government, and an even stronger one at that.

The LPC has a lot of soul searching to do. I suspect they have been punished (deservingly) for essentially allowing Harper to rule as a majority government in the last two years. That, in addition to a half-assed, ill-prepared, ill-planned and ill-thought campaign. Although I ended up voting for the LPC, I did so with reluctance - their platform was slightly better than the others, but nevertheless suffered from a screaming lack of a balance sheet to go with it. In addition, Stéphane Dion has proven to be a triangulator instead of a leader. The LPC would be better served with a true leader next time around, someone other than Mr. Dion. Despite his numerous intellectual qualities, as well has his honesty and sincerity, he has proven to be overall a poor communicator (even in French), and haphazard campaigner and an indecisive leader.

I know one thing: a majority of the folks who voted for the BQ in Québec did so not because of any sovereignism aspirations, but chiefly against Harper (as in 2006) and because the LPC utterly failed at proving itself the better alternative. In effect, the CPC (10 seats) and LPC (13 seats) performed the same as 2006 - the BQ having lost 1 seat whereas the NDP won 1 seat and an independant was elected again.

Now, I'm no expert - but seems to me a truly prepared party has a clearly defined platform, along with a balance sheet to back it up, and consequently does not need to add on to it as campaign winds blow. That, and a steady message promoting said party alongside with a steady strategy to expose the CPC's flaws and policy/governing problems - especially with regards to women's rights, Afghanistan, deficit spending/squandering surplusses, militarism, etc..

In short - at least, that is what I expect as a progressive voter.

hell, I still can't understand how it is that not only we essentially did not hear much (if anything) about the "in-and-out" scandal and/or the Cadman tapes, Cadman's wife ended up being elected ... as a CPC MNA (Chuck Cadman was an independant)!!!

The NDP gained seats - thanks in large parts to Jack Layton's better performance. However, the NDP sill suffers from an ill-defined platform (without a balance sheet to back it up) and needs to inject more pragmatism in said platform. Furthermore, they suffered the same lack of planning, preparedness and steadiness in their campaign, as the LPC - albeit to a lesser degree. Same thing about hammering home steadily the proper, clear messages to expose Harper and the CPC (see above).

Although the Green Party increased in voter shares, it has suffered the same fate as in 2006: no seats and its leader defeated. Despite Elizabeth May having participated in the Leaders' debates. The main problem here I suspect is that May ended up being outshone by Dion , Duceppe and Layton on environmental issues during the debates - which turned out to be quite problematic existentially for the GP in the eyes of Canadians. Hence, the 2006 and 2008 results tell me that an overwhelming majority of Canadians do not feel the need of a "specialized platform" party like the GP, expecting instead the other parties like the LPC and NDP to inject "green" into their platforms as they have done so this time around.

Come what may, the LPC and NDP better hold on to their tuques - if Harper had no qualms governing as if he lead a majority government before, how do you think he'll be governing this time around with an even stronger minority government?

The weird situation being that the BQ, a provincial party first and foremost dedicated in defending sovereignty for Québec, has shown itself to have the better leader/campaigner in Gilles Duceppe, in addition to having played its proper part as an opposition party to Harper and his Harpies in the previous two years - and will therefore likely do so again.

The opposition parties - especially the LPC - better do their damn job to the fullest this time around ...

Because Canadians were certainly incapacitated by the spreading cancer on our body democratic on these elections:

Tuesday's federal poll revealed an electorate that seemed apathetic in terms of who should lead the country, with voter turnout appearing to be the lowest in the history of Confederation.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his Conservatives won a second minority government.

But with just under 60 per cent of the votes counted at 2 a.m. ET Wednesday, turnout hovered around 59 per cent. That figure was slightly below the lowest turnout recorded in 2004 at 60.9 per cent when Paul Martin's Liberals won a minority government.

Only two years ago, 64.7 per cent of Canadians went to the polls, also giving Stephen Harper's Conservatives a minority government.

The highest voter turnout was 79.4 per cent in 1958. The lowest was 44.6 per cent in 1898.

If the LPC and NDP do not get their acts together - whether as opposition parties and/or as campagning parties - to stir up (grassroots) interest and voting among Canadians, then the winner by default will be the CPC in elections to come ...

Our country, it's identity, it's soul, just can't afford this.